The Wall Street Journal has a two part series based on testimony of the survivors of this massive disaster to a Coast Guard investigation into the sinking of the oil rig.

There Was ‘Nobody in Charge’

After the Blast, Horizon Was Hobbled by a Complex Chain of Command; A 23-Year-Old Steps In to Radio a Mayday

In the minutes after a cascade of gas explosions crippled the Deepwater Horizon on April 20, confusion reigned on the drilling platform. Flames were spreading rapidly, power was out, and terrified workers were leaping into the dark, oil-coated sea. Capt. Curt Kuchta, the vessel’s commander, huddled on the bridge with about 10 other managers and crew members.

Andrea Fleytas, a 23-year-old worker who helped operate the rig’s sophisticated navigation machinery, suddenly noticed a glaring oversight: No one had issued a distress signal to the outside world, she recalls in an interview. Ms. Fleytas grabbed the radio and began calling over a signal monitored by the Coast Guard and other vessels.

The ship’s commander didn’t have the wits to send out a “mayday” call, which should have been his first instinct. That’s because he wasn’t in charge — he was supposed to go through a chain of command — the commander wasn’t in “command”.

Why haven’t the BP executives been charged with murder? Or even operating a vessel without a Captain’s license?

Why is BP allowed to walk on on these murders and other crimes — while mere humans (non corporation humans) are sitting in jail today for much lessor crimes?

Andrea Fleytas was chastised by the “commander” for sending out the mayday call to the Coast Guard — I wonder when the “commander” would decide that the Coast Guard should be alerted? Perhaps after his BP bosses called in the PR folks to decide the best cover their asses words to describe one of the major F**k ups of the Century?

One Response

Captain Kuchtta is either totally incompetent or a liar. It was disgusting to hear him say most of the time in response to questions from the commission, “I do not recall.” What was he aware of as captain of the vessel.
His attorney and Kuchta seemed to be enjoying frustrating the questioners.
Philip H. Schoenherr